2014 NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 1 Arizona vs No. 16 Weber State

By Brian Skinnell

While Arizona didn’t finish off the Pac 12 conference tournament the way they’d hoped, the Wildcats still drew a No. 1 seed in the West. In their 2014 NCAA Tournament opener, they’ll take on No. 16 Weber State.

Arizona ran out to a 21-0 record before finally being upended by California in early February. They went on to finish the season with a 30-4 record following their loss to UCLA in the conference tournament final. With Arizona being a West Coast team, not very many people got to watch them play. However, the Wildcats have four players that average in double figures led by Nick Johnson (16.2 ppg).

The Wildcats will go up against the Big Sky tournament champion Weber State Wildcats. Weber State had an up and down season before making an impressive run to win the tournament title. They are led by Davion Berry, who averages 19.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Don’t let their 19-11 record fool you – they could give Arizona a good challenge.

What to Watch For

Arizona drew a strong bracket in this year’s tournament. If they beat Weber State, they’ll play either Gonzaga or Oklahoma State in the second round. If they get caught looking ahead, Weber State could surprise. Johnson and Berry will be two players to keep an eye on, but look for the size of Arizona to take over and lead them victory. Freshman Aaron Gordon and sophomore Kaleb Tarczewski will need to be strong on the boards against a good rebounding team in Weber State.

Prediction

Of the four No. 1 seeds, Arizona will receive the toughest challenge in the opening round. Weber State rebounds the ball well, averaging 34 per game with Joel Bolomboy averaging nearly 11 per game. Look for Arizona’s young height inside to overwhelm Weber State as the second half wears on.

Arizona 68, Weber State 54

Brian Skinnell is a freelance sports writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your network on Google.